Zelma -- Simply. Awesome. Thanks for the update!

BTW Zelma, if you have any exercise minutes to add to July, let me know! We can back add them to the July total!!!

Zelma – WOW! You are looking so !!! I your hair. OMG – an $1800 outfit. I couldn’t imagine wearing something so expensive. It must have been quite an experience. I am just so thrilled for you. Thanks for keeping us posted!

Sugar - What a cool revelation about visiting your family. That is definitely the first step. It always reminds me of GI Joe – “And knowing is half the battle”.

Heather - I FEEL recovered, so I feel like things should be back to normal. Of course it doesn’t always work that way. I know my hormones have been all over the place, which could definitely be part of the equation. I just started on a new bc pill on Sunday so that should hopefully start to even things out hormonally, but in the meantime I know I just need to be patient.

Misti – Cute new pic – your hair looks really good!

Sharon - I know what you mean about buying high cal food. I have always had the feeling that people are looking at me and judging, but not that it ever stopped me from buying high cal stuff! I am glad you are out and about and on the mend.


I was feeling so bad about the other day that I hadn’t bothered to enter it into my calorie counter (Nancy: repeat after me – I will always log no matter what) and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I have gotten down to eating around 800 calories before dinner so that I have a lot of leeway with my evening meal (my BF can sometimes cook not such great stuff – this is something we are working on). So even if the pizza were 500 calories a slice (and I had two) I would only be slightly over 2000 for the day. I feel better now. I just need to be patient and keep doing what I am doing and things will happen.

Oh - I forgot. I wanted to ask everyone a question. For those of you who go to a gym, do you shower there or do you go home and shower? The other day a few of the girls at the gym asked me if I wanted to go for a drink after (which is cool since I would really like to make more friends) but I felt weird about showering at the gym and didn't want to go all sweaty. I took a rain check and am feeling like I need to build up the courage for it. Just thought I would see if I could find any here.

When I go to the gym, I shower at home. I also exercise at night.

When I worked out in the morning, I would work out, shower then go to work. Showering at the gym isn't a big deal. I've even showered at a gym where there were no shower curtains. I figure that we are all women, there really isn't a big deal. I wouldn't walk around naked but getting clean is important

Hello all! Having an awful week here. It's been to hot to walk or even ride a bike, although I did sneak a walk in on Monday night while things were slow at work. But with temps hovering around 100, I'm done. MIL is still here, making it difficult to do much and yesterday I found out somebody stole some old checks from us and tried to cash them on an account that's been closed for about a year. Gotta go to the police dept. today and file a report. bleh

Just kind of down in the dumps. I feel like I haven't lost an ounce. I don't have a scale and I'm afraid to seek one out for fear I'll give up on everything. (Guess I'll have a little cheese with my whine. Waaaaa!)

Zelma and Misti - Your new pics look great! I'm hanging on to your inspiration, hoping it will be me one of these days!

Hope everybody has a good day and keeps cool

Peeking in from Texas, with the ssssssllloooooooooowwwweeest connection in the universe...

Hi all! So glad I stopped by & thrilled for ZELMA! Did they tell you who won yet, or is that still a secret until it airs?

HUGS to several of you who are frustrated with your progress on the scale. This isn't just some little diet, this is a life journey, a mission, a revolution, a long term miracle, a wonderful new plan for our futures, and it's for US, not our hubby's, not our family's, not for the construction workers checking out rear ends, not for our doctors - for each and every one of US.

This is about US. WE know the pain of carrying this weight. WE took the journey up the scale. And WE are the ones who have made the decisions to improve our lives, live longer, healthier and happier lives and WE are the ones who choose, endure and benefit from this struggle. That others close to us encourage us, cheer us, or even notice our efforts is great, but they simply can't know what it is we've really faced, really gone through, and really accomplished.

The day I stepped on the scale at my highest points and my throat clenched and my stomach twisted in grief and shame, and tears rolled down my face and I wept for how I'd tortured and damaged my perfectly good body, for all I was missing in life - I was alone with my own soul and no one on this Earth could share that sorrow. The day when I got on the scale and it had broken 300 for the first time and my heart and stomach clenched again and more tears were shed because I'd made that goal and knew I'd never see that number again, and I knew I had the power in ME to succeed, that was MY moment that could neither be shared fully with anyone I knew, nor taken from me. There are days when I don't know how I got off track or how I'll ever get back on, or how I can possibly keep going... but I know I WILL! This is my personal battle, and your personal battle, and perhaps the people on this board are the only ones I know who have a CLUE what this is really like from the depression to determination to every little victory. But we all know it's a battle that can be won! (Zelma, Wyllenn & the rest of our 3FC colorguard, would you please raise the flag now?) We may have support and help, but ultimately the challange, the victories and the rewards are our own. All the sabatours, nay-sayers, skinny-minnies, fast-food fryers, sugar-pushers and grease-injecting steroid-stuffing food & chemical companies COMBINED can't stop us - unless we let them. Unless we give up and say "go ahead, hurt me, harm me, damage me."

The scale will always fluctuate. It does for every single body on this planet.
The scale will park and stall out from time to time. It does for every single body on the planet.
But the scale doesn't own us. (We paid for that sorry bast***'s plastic a$$ & we own it.)
It hasn't got the will to control us. WE are the ones with the will to control IT!

The scale just isn't very smart. My dog knows WAY more tricks. So if the scale says "Hey, Fatso, your efforts are useless! You're not getting anywhere! You'll never get that next pound off! You're failing!" and your dog says "sigh... hello beautiful and wonderful person! There's no one in the universe more worth loving than you! You can fail at nothing. With your own words you have the power to command joy & change the course of events!" C'MON!!! Who ya gonna believe??? Let's face it - the dog knows you a lot better.

Don't give power to the people and things that have No Right to it. Keep it for yourself, believe in yourself and remember that the goal, and traveling towards the goal instead of away from it, is all we can do. Direction is everything, because the direction you choose will ultimately determine your destination. Arrival time is less important - Just ask Delta and United.

Good luck, good spirit, good strength & good health to you my friends.

WOW Valerie, you put it so eloquently , but it certainly rings a few bells with me! I hope we all reach a healthy size, in six, ten or even 36 months or more, whatever it takes, we are all in this together.
Such wise words you've just posted help, help us see that the only people who really know the struggle are those who are here now, whether they've lost 10 or 100lbs, the pain and sorrows shared help us get there , the joys and victories help us too. TO OUR 300+ SISTERHOOD & the special people here!!!!
xxxxsharon:hug:

Val.... i hope you dont mind I printed some of your last post. I think its something that needs to be put in my head and needs to stay there Thanks!

Brenda

Val -- Wow, that may have been a sloooooooowwww connection, but it didn't stop some mighty powerful and true words!!

just popping in to say hello and that im here *waves*

thanks for that Val. you truely are an inspiration!!

Zelma - Ab Fab neighbour! You look fantastic .. not sure about an outfit costing that much .. I dont think my entire wardrobe cost that much now that I think about it rofl .. regardless of where you come in the top 4 hun youre a real winner to me (and Im sure to everyone else on here too!)

Misti - I noticed your new hairstyle yesterday but wasnt sure if anyone had posted about it somewhere so was gonna come back in later to see if I could find it rofl .. I had to look at the name above your piccy cos I didnt recognise you!! You look fantastic, it looks like a fun and carefree style which I am sure suits the real you

Val - Youre an inspiration hun .. I (like Brenda - great minds there hun lol) am going to print off your words and attach them to my fridge and my mirror ... and I think I will stick em up in the bathroom as well ... so inspirational .. I hope that is ok?? Thanks for the words they are just what I needed to hear this week (and its only week 2 .. omg!! rofl)

Sharon - WTG on goin in there and your will power lol .. I am avoiding all of those sorts of places ... until further notice! Ashleigh works at a chippie in our old town once or twice a week and she comes home smelling like burgers lol... so I tell her not to come near me or I will eat her instead rofl .. nah .. Im not that bad .. but I have enough temptations in my mind without having them walk in the door lol .. Good on you getting out too .. I only go out on Saturdays .. and thats with my hunny .. Im not good with lots of people round ... but Im getting better as I go to the PO every Saturday (lugging boxes to send .. ) and theres not a heck of a lot of space between the people and the displays . but I feel drained after going there cos Im on edge the whole time .. still . its getting better a little at a time I didnt used to be this bad.... only since I put on so much weight I think So bravo to you hun! (and I know what you mean by chips too rofl)

Vilandra - Great unofficial news hun .. Im sure things are going to get moving again for you

The Shower at Gym question .... I dont go to the gym (something I am working on the courage to do ) .. but when I used to go when I lived in the city I used to shower there .. I would never shower in one that didnt have separate cubicles .. I guess Im just not that bold lol .. but the showers were nice and it was a lovely way to wind down after a good work out .. rather than leaving there all sweaty .. even if you were going home for a shower.

QUESTION: When do you find it best to weigh yourself?? Before meals?? After meals - how long after??

My manual that came with the scales say that early evening but at least a few hours after you have eaten and after you go to the bathroom (for number 1 or 2 lol) ... only thing is .. when you are told to eat every 3 hours ..when is the few hours ??? before the next serve (which if its evening would be before supper I suppose .. but then it wouldnt be early evening!!). See .. maybe Im being silly lol .. or wanting to follow the rules or whatever to the letter lol .. I like my scales in the morning tho .. they are always the nicest to me rofl ..

Oops... (thanks for reminding me Valerie) I forgot to mention that the 4 finalists fly back to Sydney in 6 weeks' time for the luncheon where they announce the winner. We will be called the night before the luncheon to be told who the winner is. I'm not a very patient person, so I hope these next 6 weeks just fly by. Neil (hubby) will be coming with me the next time and hopefully we'll have a few days to see some of Sydney.

I have to get ready for work now, but hope to post again later today. I had a WONDERFUL night's sleep, so feel better able to cope with a full day than I was yesterday.

Take care,

Zelma

hey guys
I only have a min. I have to go and pack. Thought I had better check in and let you know I am going camping tomorrow til sunday so good luck for those that weigh between now and then.

Stay strong everyone and enjoy the weekend I am certainly going to!

Brenda

by the way, Zelma, you look HOT!!!